


Her Face, A Mask

by ricecrisps



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Angst, F/F, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:24:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3865096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ricecrisps/pseuds/ricecrisps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of the Seven Wonders, Cordelia is distant, and Misty is hopeful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Face, A Mask

"Cordelia."

The lacking honorific does not slip her notice, name spoken so directly it's almost an accusation, startling the headmistress out of troubled thoughts. Idle fingers pause mid-stroke against cool leaves, and she turns slightly at the sound of faltering footsteps, silence stretching in the darkness between them. Releasing a tired breath, Cordelia sighs into air that is suddenly tense.

"Misty, it's late. You should be sleeping." 

"Couldn't sleep. Looks like I'm not the only one havin' trouble." 

Cordelia supposes she can't argue the point. Any other day she'd be fast asleep by now, tucked away under warm sheets. But The Seven Wonders looms heavy over them all and on the eve of the trials, after an hour of tossing and turning, she finds herself taking quiet refuge among the familiar surroundings of her greenhouse, earthy scent offering a slight comfort. 

Misty's sudden intrusion isn't altogether unexpected, considering how the young witch seems to spend most of her time here; it seems the most likely place she'd seek in times of unrest. Still, Cordelia finds herself caught off guard.

Five strides and long, slender legs close the distance between them. She catches the soft thump of bare feet padding across hard ground, and there's a loud scrape of a chair as Misty settles into a seat next to her.

"I was hopin' maybe we could talk."

Apprehension drops heavy like a stone in Cordelia's stomach and her throat tightens, but still, she keeps her face an impassive mask behind dark, tinted shades. 

"It's late." She tries again, in an attempt to avoid the confrontation she knows is coming. Misty doesn't give her the chance.

"You've been avoidin' me." It's stated simply, like an affirmation, a truth she can't deny. She tries anyway.

"I-no." Inwardly, she cringes. "I've been busy." It's a feeble protest, a weak lie, and they both know it. 

The air between them hangs heavy. She holds her breath, awaiting the questions she's sure will follow.

Surprisingly, none come. Sudden fingers brush the sides of her face instead, the touch gentle at the frames edge. Cordelia pulls away quickly. "Don't-"

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Not in the way that Misty thinks, no.

"That's- that's not what I'm afraid of."

She feels the intensity of Misty's gaze on her. "What are you afraid of, then?" She asks, voice soft, barely above a whisper.

Cordelia bites at her bottom lip, nervous habit surfacing into a troubled expression. 

Truthfully, she had hoped to distance herself from Misty, to cut herself off from the other witch in an effort to shield her own heart. She knows that there is a very real possibility she'll lose Misty to the Seven Wonders tomorrow, knows she won't be able to survive it if she doesn't stop this now. 

Because if love has taught her anything at all, it has taught her heartache. Hank and Fiona had seen to that. 

But Cordelia is weak, has been told so her entire life, so often that by now, it's about the only thing she knows of herself to be true.

"I won't hurt you." 

Hands return slowly to her temples, and this time, she doesn't stop Misty when she pulls the lenses off.

_Oh, but you will, you will._

She feels raw and too exposed, acutely aware of how her eyes must look, but gentle thumbs trace the swollen lids, her cheeks, her lips, and she sucks in a breath as flashes of images flood her mind's eye - hungry kisses and hurried touches in the dark - remembers hushed tones and harsh pants and a lightness in her heart.

Her stony features falter, and the mask slips. 

Soft lips meet hers and the last of her resolve crumbles away.

They fall onto Cordelia's bed in a mess of tangled limbs and rasping breaths, blind fingers working quickly to shed layers of clothing. She traces kisses along the smooth length of Misty's neck, and god she wishes she could _see,_ but settles for touch instead, shaky hands slipping into aching, wet heat. Hot, swollen mouths crash together in heady bliss, the desire and need building quickly between them until they're both gasping and shuddering and finishing against one another.

They lie together afterwards, Cordelia weaving slow fingers through the soft waves of Misty's hair, and the admission of love that slips out - a whisper into the quiet dark - is hardly a surprise because really, how could it have gone any other way? She'd found herself so suddenly, so helplessly enchanted by Misty's kindness, her talent, the gentle fingers handling the plants in the greenhouse, that lilting hum of her voice singing along to Stevie Nicks records.

Her loneliness. Her loving soul.

Misty responds with a gentle smile that is both tragic and beautiful, and her eyes gleam silver in the moonlight. 

"I've loved you since the day we first met." 

And Cordelia thinks maybe she did too.

It feels like goodbye, but she doesn't allow herself to dwell on it. If she does, she knows she won't let Misty attempt the Seven Wonders tomorrow, won't let her take the risk. She'll end up sacrificing the academy, the coven, and everything she's worked so hard for, just to keep her safe. 

But they need a new Supreme. With their numbers dwindling, they face the threat of extinction, and now, more than ever, they need a leader to guide them or surely, they will fall.

When dawn comes, Cordelia presses a final kiss to Misty's forehead and slips quietly from the bed, catching muted rays with eyes hidden behind tinted glass once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, I have a lot of feels regarding this ship! A potential romance between these two would be pretty tragic following the canon storyline, so I kind of wanted to write something along the same lines of that, and to fit in with Cordelia's devastated reaction to Misty's death.
> 
> I don't own American Horror Story or any of the characters involved in this story. This is a fan written, non-profit work of fiction.


End file.
